NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Mitt Romney promises less regulation on small businesses, but the immigration plan he supports would add an extra step to the hiring process.

Romney has said the nation should follow immigration rules like those in Arizona, where companies are forced to use a federal government program called E-Verify. Business owners are required to check the legal status of all new workers against Social Security and immigration records.

It's an added responsibility that some businesses don't want or think necessary. And to many in Arizona, it's one they outright ignore.

Of all new hires in Arizona, nearly a third don't get vetted by E-Verify, according to a review of federal records by CNNMoney. There were 1.45 million people hired in Arizona during fiscal year 2011, and only 982,593 were checked with E-Verify, according to data from the U.S. Census and the Department of Homeland Security.

Of course, in his quest to force undocumented immigrants to "self-deport," he could also encourage employers to discriminate against minorities and add additional red tape to the small businesses he claims he wants to help.